The present invention relates to a vehicle or vehicle frame and more particularly to a vehicle frame forming part of an off-road self-propelled vehicle.
In the fields of mineral exploration and geology in general, samples of overlying sediment and underlying or outcropping rock formations are often obtained by drilling for suitable specimens. It is common practice when sampling unconsolidated sediments to auger a hole to obtain the required samples by removing entrained sediments from the auger flight. Hard rock specimens are obtained usually by diamond drilling the formation and sampling the cores brought up the tubular drill stem of the drill rod.
Diamond drills are usually flown or barged to a point closest the drill site and are then dragged to the site for setup using some form of relatively heavy tracked vehicle for this purpose. Self-propelled drills are known of course but these are usually mounted on trucks having limited off-road capabilities. Such truck-mounted drills are relatively large vehicles, the trucks typically having at least three axles necessitating that expensive roads be cleared to the drill site to provide proper access.
Known off-road self-propelled drills are large and cumbersome and are not easily transportable by air. At the opposite extreme, "backpack" portable drills are available but their effectiveness is limited by their relatively low power outputs and the difficulties associated with human transport over rough terrain or long distances.
In addition to the foregoing, known drills, particularly the larger variety, are not readily adaptable for use as both diamond drills and augers.
What is required is a vehicle capable of propelling itself and related supported drilling equipment over rough terrain, which is sufficiently powerful to be capable of use in place of known, more cumbersome units and which is sufficiently light and simple to be easily dismantled for transport in the various small aircraft used in support of mineral exploration activities in this and other countries. Fundamental to a vehicle of this sort is its frame and the manner in which the frame is assembled to facilitate off-road traversals.
Although the present vehicle and its frame are described hereinbelow in terms and in the context of a self-propelled drill, it will be appreciated throughout that this particular application of the present vehicle is merely exemplary and that the present frame assembly and the vehicle of which it forms a part will find many advantageous and useful applications in various modes of off-road use.